Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Recipe

My family is really fond of bread – we have bread for breakfast at least twice a week. We used the usual store-bought bread, but since we consumed it regularly, I was worried about the quality of such a staple food in our home. And no, I didn’t trust big brand names either! That’s when I decided to make my own homemade whole wheat bread – with no additives other than love!

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:

Milk powder – ¼ cup (you can substitute with a mix of milk and water in a 50-50 ratio)

Coarsely ground flax seeds – 2 tablespoons

Salt – 1 ½ tsp

Instructions:

1. To ¼ cup lukewarm water, add 1 tsp from the total quantity of brown sugar and the yeast . Mix it well with a fork / spoon, cover it with a lid and set aside to froth.

2. Mix all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Now add the frothy yeast mix. Mix well with a silicon or plastic scraper, initially you will get a very sticky and loose dough.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with wet cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. This is the first proofing.

4. After 30 minutes, transfer the sticky dough to a lightly floured work counter. Gently knead the dough for 10 minutes. You can add the little flour if required, but not too much.

5. After 10 minutes of gentle kneading, dough will be smooth and flexible. Again, place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it rise at warm place until it’s doubled in size. Usually, it will take 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon the weather. This is the second proofing.

6. After 1 hour, take the dough out on the work table again and deflate it with your hands. Roll it up lightly into a log.

7. Place the log in lightly greased loaf pan (I used a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan). Cover the loaf pan with a wet cloth and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes at a warm place. This is the third proofing.

8. Just 10 minutes before the completion of the 3rd proofing, preheat the oven to 200 degree C.

9. Brush the loaf with milk or butter or egg wash before baking to get a nice golden crust on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for 40 to 45 minutes .

10. Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a cooling rack. When the loaf is completely cooled, wrap it in a cling film or butter paper and store at room temperature. Be sure to slice the loaf only after complete cooling.

When kneading, do it with a light hand or you wont’ get an airy, light crumb. The times given here are just indicative. The baking time will depend upon your oven and the proofing time will vary according to the weather – it takes longer in winter.

Remember, practice makes perfect. I had quite a few failed attempts but I was determined to try it till I nailed it. Now, my family enjoys 100% homemade whole wheat bread that is soft, moist and flavorful!

Author

Neha is a full-time mom of 4.5 years old son. She left her job during her pregnancy and started sharing her parenting experience on her blog BeingHappyMom to help new moms in their motherhood journey. She believes in unSchooling and organic way of living life.

If your family likes bread, it's worth making your own. Here is a recipe for 100% homemade whole wheat bread that is soft, moist and flavorful!

Author: Neha

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: Indian

INGREDIENTS

Whole Wheat Flour - 4 cups

Lukewarm water - 1 ¼ cups

Extra Virgin Olive oil - ¼ cup

Brown sugar - ¼ cup (you can also use honey)

Dry Instant yeast - 2 ½ teaspoons,

Milk powder - ¼ cup (you can substitute with a mix of milk and water in a 50-50 ratio)

Coarsely ground flax seeds - 2 tablespoons

Salt - 1 ½ tsp

METHOD

To ¼ cup lukewarm water, add 1 tsp from the total quantity of brown sugar and the yeast . Mix it well with a fork / spoon, cover it with a lid and set aside to froth.

Mix all other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Now add the frothy yeast mix. Mix well with a silicon or plastic scraper, initially you will get a very sticky and loose dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with wet cloth and set aside for 30 minutes. This is the first proofing.

After 30 minutes, transfer the sticky dough to a lightly floured work counter. Gently knead the dough for 10 minutes. You can add the little flour if required, but not too much.

After 10 minutes of gentle kneading, dough will be smooth and flexible. Again, place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a wet cloth and let it rise at warm place until it’s doubled in size. Usually, it will take 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending upon the weather. This is the second proofing.

After 1 hour, take the dough out on the work table again and deflate it with your hands. Roll it up lightly into a log.

Place the log in lightly greased loaf pan (I used a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan). Cover the loaf pan with a wet cloth and let the dough rise for another 45 minutes at a warm place. This is the third proofing.

Just 10 minutes before the completion of the 3rd proofing, preheat the oven to 200 degree C.

Brush the loaf with milk or butter or egg wash before baking to get a nice golden crust on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C for 40 to 45 minutes .

Remove the bread from the oven and turn it out onto a cooling rack. When the loaf is completely cooled, wrap it in a cling film or butter paper and store at room temperature. Be sure to slice the loaf only after complete cooling.

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I am Dr.Hema, a.k.a the “Doctor Mommy”. I am a medical doctor by profession, no longer into active medical practice as my two little moppets keep me pretty much busy. I love to help and guide new parents through their journey of raising healthy babies.... Read More.